how to i go to login screen without actually logging out?

snow patrol · 1 Oct 2009 at 13:41

Had my mac for a while now and i feature that i'm missing now that i'm sharing it a bit is being able to quit to the login screen without actually logging out of my profile and closing all the programs etc. Am i missing something...surely it's possible? Thanks

PardonTheWait · 1 Oct 2009 at 13:45

Easiest way I find is:

Go to system preferences
then Accounts
click the Login Options button
and tick Show Fast User Switching as and change it to icon

Then just click the little man and hit login window.

PardonTheWait · 1 Oct 2009 at 13:47

Oh also under Security you can tick 'require password to wake from sleep or screen saver' (or somesuch) and then use CMD + ALT + Eject to sleep the machine when you're not there, that's another option for being able to quickly password protect your machine when you go away from it. I prefer the first though because obviously if you've got downloads and such going it won't stop them.

Vonhelmet · 1 Oct 2009 at 13:59

What happens if you sleep the machine while you're logged in and someone else wants to use it? Can they log in as usual, or would you have to come back and unlock it then do the switch?

snow patrol · 1 Oct 2009 at 14:38

PardonTheWait said:
Easiest way I find is:

Go to system preferences
then Accounts
click the Login Options button
and tick Show Fast User Switching as and change it to icon

Then just click the little man and hit login window.

peeeerrrrrfect. Thanks

PardonTheWait · 1 Oct 2009 at 16:57

vonhelmet said:
What happens if you sleep the machine while you're logged in and someone else wants to use it? Can they log in as usual, or would you have to come back and unlock it then do the switch?

There's an option for switch user

Vonhelmet · 1 Oct 2009 at 20:27

PardonTheWait said:
There's an option for switch user

Top notch. Never even knew Mac had fast user switching and now it turns up and it's brilliant!

MacRS4 · 1 Oct 2009 at 22:40

Try this then

http://www.markc.me.uk/MarkC/Blog/Entries/2009/7/3_OSX_-_Locking_Your_Desktop.html

PardonTheWait · 1 Oct 2009 at 23:03

MacRS4 said:
Try this then

http://www.markc.me.uk/MarkC/Blog/Entries/2009/7/3_OSX_-_Locking_Your_Desktop.html

I ran mine like that for a while, but then I discovered it was no faster (2 clicks) than having the user switch in the toolbar.

MacRS4 · 2 Oct 2009 at 16:37

Yeah guess so - you can assign it a hotkey too as well if you want.

Gas Panic! · 2 Oct 2009 at 22:26

Or:

Applications > Utilities > Keychain Access > Preferences > "Show status in menu bar".

Now you can just click the little padlock and select "lock screen".